Watch A Robot Paint A Mural In West Orange

WEST ORANGE, NJ — West Orange will be on the cutting edge of the art world on Wednesday and Thursday when the township gets a visit from a spray-painting, wall-crawling robot.

According to town officials, two public murals will be created with the help of a color printer “robot” programmed to spray-paint a digital picture as it glides along the side of a building using guide cables. The result? A stunningly detailed robo-masterpiece.

The public is welcome to stop by and check out the creative process. Prep work is slated to begin at 7 a.m. each day and printing should begin by 10 a.m. at the following locations:

• Wednesday, Sept. 19 - 269 Main Street (Downtown West Orange)
• Thursday, Sept. 20 - Across the street in the parking lot for Schneider's Hardware (276 Main St.)

Here’s a little more info about the design for each of West Orange’s new murals.

“The location of the first mural is at 269 Main Street in the heart of the downtown. It will feature Thomas Edison iconic image on the side of the building. This stunning design developed by West Orange resident and graphic artist Ryan Zorad shows Thomas Edison holding a light bulb with a filament that is a glowing interlocked W that resembles the logo of the Downtown West Orange Alliance. Once complete this mural will provide a photo opportunity of being inside Edison Labs.”

“The second mural located directly across the street in the parking lot for Schneider's Hardware is a colorful vintage scene of Tory Corner in West Orange taken from a 1920s postcard. Ryan Zorad took artistic license in blending the past with the present showing the transformation of Main Street from the trolleys to the NJ Transit buses that are now seen on Main Street with the same route number. Other elements include historical details such as an ad for Musler's Blacksmith Shop which was the last blacksmith on Main Street and a horse drawn delivery wagon from Becker's Farm Dairy in nearby Roseland that was a common site on Main Street in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.”

According to Megan Brill, executive director of the Downtown West Orange Alliance, creating murals has been part of the group’s plans for the Main Street corridor for the past few years.

“With the help of Main Street NJ, the national main street program, we have this great opportunity to create two beautiful murals that celebrate our downtown and West Orange history,” Brill said.

“It is our goal that more people will come and see the murals and spend time and money at the stores and restaurants in the area,” Brill added. “It is our hope that there will be an economic benefit to the business and property owners in the area.”

Don’t forget to visit the Patch West Orange Facebook page here.

Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site here. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Photo courtesy of West Orange Township